Made up of 115 islands, Seychelles’ warm and beautiful nation is once again open for international tourism. There is one caveat, though. If you want to freely enjoy all that the country has to offer, from its white sand beaches and crystal clear waters to its fabulous international cuisine, you must have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. That means both the booster shot as well as the initial one. And you must wait an additional 2 weeks after your second shot to make sure the vaccine is fully effective.
Tourists who have been vaccinated before coming to Seychelles will be given the freedom to travel throughout the country with no restrictions. However, according to the official Seychelles Tourism Destination website, they must provide proof of vaccination. They also must submit negative results of a PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel.
What if you haven’t been vaccinated? Well, depending on where you’re from, you might still be allowed entry. However, you will face some restrictions. For example, you’ll only be allowed to stay at a few approved hotels and yachts and use approved tourism and transport providers, at least during a quarantine period. You’ll also need to take follow-up PCR tests after you arrive.
Another option is to wait. Since Seychelles anticipates that most of its own citizens will be vaccinated by mid-March or so, at that point, its borders will be open even for non-vaccinated tourists. However, they will still require a PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure.
Of course, if you arrive by private jet, you can get around these restrictions…
However, you probably don’t want to. The restrictions, after all, protect you as well as others. While Seychelles has had a low number of Covid cases overall, it has seen a recent increase. The CDC has it listed as a Level 4 and discourages travel to the island nation.
So while the news is not totally rosy, it still provides hope that the pandemic is finally being brought under control. For those of us who love to travel, this is indeed a positive development.
For further information, you can check Seychelles’ official tourism site. Here you will find the list of approved countries for those who are not vaccinated and other information relating to Covid-19.